Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga will miss at least three weeks due to a sprained right ankle sustained during Saturday night’s game. This information was reported by The Athletic on Sunday.
The injury occurred in the final moments of the first half while Kuminga attempted to block a shot in Golden State’s 121-113 win against the Memphis Grizzlies, resulting in an awkward landing. An MRI is scheduled to assess the extent of the damage.
Head Coach Steve Kerr commented on the situation, stating, “It’s not going to be a day-to-day thing; it was a significant sprain. We’ll have a report tomorrow.”
Before the injury, Kuminga was a key player for the Warriors, ranking as the team’s second-leading scorer behind Stephen Curry with an average of 16.9 points per game. However, he only managed to score 13 points in 15 minutes of play during this outing.
Kerr expressed the team’s concern, saying, “It’s going to be tough. JK’s been playing the best basketball of his career these last couple of weeks, so we’re going to miss him. But Kyle will fill in well.”
Kyle Anderson, who played over 21 minutes in the game, recorded seven points, three assists, and three rebounds. Although his playing time has varied, he is ready to step up in Kuminga’s absence.
Anderson remarked, “I’ve done my work already while not playing as far as working out and staying ready, so it’s just a matter of going out there and playing basketball.” He added, “I’ve been in this situation two or three times in my career and I’ve always made the playoff rotation. The goal is to keep getting better, support my teammates, and when my number’s called, go out there and do what I can do.”
Throughout the season, the Warriors have relied on their deep roster to navigate injuries effectively.
Kerr expressed confidence in the team’s depth, saying, “I’m just glad we have the depth that we do by way of Kyle. We added a lot of depth for this reason, to be able to withstand some injuries.”